Frequently Asked Questions

MarketStrats is a fee-only firm, which means we only get paid directly by you. With many banks, brokerages, and insurance companies, that is not the case. Conflicts of interest can and often do exist. We took a fiduciary oath to put your best interests first. If we recommend an investment or insurance policy to you, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have done so because our analysis says it serves your needs the best, not because we are getting a kickback from it.

Moreover, you can expect a consistent service. With us, you are not just a number. We know you and you know us. Services are tailored to you. We are highly flexible in both the timing of availability and meeting methods. Additionally, we handle issues as they come up! Since this is indeed a service—and a very important one—we pride ourselves on quick response times.

Financial planning is not just an event. It is an ongoing process, and we understand that good communication is critical. The same is true of investment management. We will work with you to create a core plan and manage your investments that match your custom blueprint. More specifically, here is what we offer:

Risk Assessment

Identifying Goals

Organizing Accounts

Cash Flow Management

Retirement Planning

Tax Planning

Financial Plan Creation

Target Investment Allocations

Portfolio Construction

Risk Management

Portfolio Rebalancing

Withdrawal Strategies

Estate Planning Basics

We will also work to coordinate your affairs with your CPA, lawyers, and other business representatives.

Keith works out of his home in Southwest Cape Coral. Meetings are conducted wherever is convenient for you. Often times that is in rented office space, a restaurant, coffee shop, your home, or virtually using a webcam. We also work with several contractors who work out of their respective offices across the country.

For withdrawals and off-cycle trades, we are completely hands on to determine the most efficient way to get your money to you.

For periodic rebalancing or tactical model shifts, we use tax-loss harvesting software that allows us to set various loss thresholds, total loss targets, and the ability to choose a replacement security for every harvested security. Eligible taxable accounts are automatically monitored, and if a loss threshold is triggered, orders are proposed for our chosen replacement security.

How often will you be meeting and talking with me?2018-06-30T09:40:24-04:00

Ultimately, that is up to you. Most clients meet with us at least once a year. During onboarding or life inflection points, we will likely get together or talk more frequently. We also communicate with quarterly client letters, sporadic blog posts on market conditions, direct emails, phone calls, and video conferences.

Can I still work with you if I don’t live in Florida?2019-02-19T15:37:43-04:00

Our philosophy is to keep all investments under management liquid at all times. In other words, you can get to your money whenever you need it. In fact, many retired clients take a withdrawal from their portfolio automatically once a month.

Can’t I just be my own financial planner and portfolio manager?2018-06-30T06:18:53-04:00

Beyond the substantial time that it takes to learn and plan things yourself, there is a proven behavior gap that exists between market returns and the actual return that an individual investor achieves. Studies have shown that individual investors lag the S&P 500’s return by nearly 5% per year! This gap exists because investors respond emotionally—and not rationally—in times of turmoil and they don’t stick to their plan. And that’s if they even have a plan to begin with.

Keith has spent over a decade in finance where he has worked as a trader, analyst, and advisor. On top of working with clients like you directly, he has literally taught this stuff to undergraduate students as an adjunct instructor too. Here is his LinkedIn and some of his resume:

Chartered Market Technician

Designation that demonstrates mastery of investment risk in portfolio management

MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business

BS in Business from the University of Maryland University College

Adjunct Finance Instructor at the University of Maryland University College

How do you keep my information safe and secure?2018-06-30T06:19:21-04:00

Our firm’s systems, policies, and partnerships are carefully developed and maintained to safeguard your personal information, financial assets, and transactions. We only work with partners that meet the most rigorous security standards in the world. This includes but is not limited to two-factor authentication, 256-bit encryption (the same as your bank), and accredited data centers.